This week I get to have one of my favorite authors and friends BACK on In Joy Life. Mary Marantz is here to help all of us break through the fears that continually hold us back.

She says it's time for a wake-up call! Because so often when faced with the choice between creating nothing and creating failure, we choose nothing. Another year goes by. The clock goes on ticking. And the world is worse for our absence. It's time to move from stuck to start.

Mary's newest book, Underestimated, does the heavy lifting to dismantle all the lies fear uses, move you out of an endless spiral of your own excuses (not to mention other people's opinions), and bring you right up to a threshold of no return--this place where we become people who feel the fear and move forward anyway. With equal parts powerful prose and tactical action steps, Underestimated will become the essential go-to field guide for anyone who is ready to once and for all quit playing small.

Order Underestimated, today!

A few years ago during the Covid-19 crisis and the mounting cultural tension surging after the 2020 election, Jen Thompson felt a serious need for more than a way to de-stress. She needed to return to Jesus.

Return to Jesus is more than a book. It’s an invitation to receive something millions of us are crying out for: a more real, consistent closeness with Jesus, saturating every wonderful and difficult moment and circumstance of life.

But how do we rest in His Presence when our world is yelling for us to hurry up and do? For Jen, it’s all about intentional practices and daily rhythms of returning to Him. In Return to Jesus, Jen invites us to return to the One who gives us lungs to breathe and eyes to see all the beauty, heartache, and wonder that can be found in a single day. Using personal stories and scriptures, Jen offers guidance on how to disrupt the patterns and rhythms of life and embrace an eternal perspective that calls us out of the constant demands of our schedules, our time, our emotional capacity, and the expectations of the world pressing in.

The idea of “mental load” may not have felt burdensome while dating or engaged, but over time, as the responsibilities of life increase, the emotional, mental, and physical toll of the on-going mental load starts to disproportionately affect women, which often then has a direct impact on the quality of their marriage. Women get resentful and men wonder what happened to their wives. So how do we find a better share in the mental drain and to-do list we all carry?

Renowned relationship expert, podcast host and bestselling author Dr. Morgan Cutlip takes a different approach. Instead of pitting couples against each other, she helps them define the true enemy in their relationship: a full mental load, hustle culture, societal expectations, and the pressure to always be productive. She aims to help couples feel like they’re on the same team and find a solution that works for the ever-changing demands of modern life and family. Morgan emphasizes that these pressures often drain intimacy and connection between partners, and she is passionate about helping couples rekindle their spark.

In her new book, A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load for More Fun, Less Resentment, and Great Sex , Morgan combines research and real-life stories to guide couples into relationships built on shared responsibility, greater joy, and a thriving sex life. Through practical advice and empowering strategies, Morgan helps couples overcome resentment and feelings of inequity, fostering deeper emotional connection.